Mail box



Aug. 4, 1925.

R. C. SAYRE MAIL B0X Filed Aug. 21. 1923 2 sheets-'sheet 1 fg dfn/,7522,

FIG/l 5 n v r f 5 15 J5 am VBL VENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 4, 1925.

R. c. SAYRE MAIL BOX Filed Aug. 21. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I p INVENTOR,

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 4, 1925.

UNITED STATES ROBERTO. SAYRE, OF lI-IILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVAIA.

MAIL BOX.

Application mea August 21, 1923. serial No. 658,504.

To `all 'whom z't may concern:

vBe it known that I, ROBERT C. SAYRE, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Mail Box, of which the following is aspecication.

My invention relates to mail boxes in general: and more particularly tomail boxes which comprise a plurality of compartments for receivingletters or packages, which compartments being separately marked oridentified, serve to relieve a postman or other person collecting fromthem of the labor of such separate assortment as would devolve upon himif all of the letters addressed to different destinations were enteredtogether in one compartment or box.

The object of my invention is the construction of a compartmental mailbox the compartments of which are separately externally marked with thedestination or character of their intended contents, and

in which locking devices are provided for maintaining the compartmentsnormally closed until opened by the postman or other authorized person.

A yfurther object of my invention is the provision of means forilluminating the designations applied to indicate the in tendeddestination ofthe contents of given receptacles.

A further object is a simple, eflicient and inexpensive construction ofthe mail box as an entirety.

vWith the foregoing, and other, objects in view, my`inventioncomprehends a mail box of the character hereinafter described andclaimed.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I'have shown in theaccompanying drawings certain types and embodiments of it which are atpresent preferred by me because in practice they will be found to givesatisfactory and reliable results.

It is to be understood, however', that the various instrumentalities inwhich my in vention is shown as embodied can be variously arranged andthat my invention is not therefore limited to the precise arrangementswhich are typified in the constructions shown in the "drawingsandhereiir after described.

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a mail box embodying myinvention.

Figure 2 represents a sectional, side elevation on the (line 2 2 of thebox illustrated in Figure l. n

Figure 3 represents a sectional planon the line V3---3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 represents -a sectional plan on the line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 represents a perspective view of a modified form of my mailbox.

Figure 6 represents a sectional, side elevation of the mailboxillustrated in Figure 5.

Figure 7 represents a sectional plan on the line 3-3 of Figure 6.

Similar numerals of reference `indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to Figures l, 2, 3 and 4,-1 designates the back of my mailbox which extends across the two compartments which the box is shown ascontaining and which Vare respectively designated 2 and 3. rlhe lowerrear portion of the back is curved forwardly and inwardly to form aninclined direct-ing bottom 4 common to both compartments.

The front face or th-e outer wall 5 of each compartment is shown ascurved outwardly and extended downwardly and inwardly preferably to meetthe bottom edge 6 of the inclined bottom 4 of the box.

Paralleling each outer wall 5 is an inner wall 7 common to bothcompartments. Between the outer Aand the inner walls 5 and 7 is achannel 8, substantially corresponding in length with the lengths of theinner and outer walls, the purpose of which is to form a slideway orbearing within which travels a sliding door 9 of about half the lengthof the channel 8, and adapted when moved upwardly or downwardly,conveniently by a button l0 attached to it by a shank 1l which passesthrough a narrow vertical slot 12 in the front face 5, to open or clos-ea discharge opening formed by slots 13 and 14 extending tranverselyacross the lower parts of the two walls of each compartment of the box,and which are each, when not made continuous, essentially of acorresponding length and a widthequal to the width yof a compartment, sothat when the door 9 of a given compartment is down in the positionillustrated in Figure 2, it closes the discharge opening made by thesaid two slots 13 and 14, and closes the bottom of said compartment.

Vhen the button is moved upwardly to the top of the slot 12, the slidingdoor is lifted and the slots 13 and 14 uncovered to term an opening torthe discharge of its contents from a compartment of the box.

Each of the compartments is similarly slotted and similarly providedWith a slidingV door, and, ot course, the compartments-4 of which, asexplained, there may be more than tWo,-are separated by a dividing Wall15.

The top of each compartment is provided with a light chamber 16 in whichis contained an electric or other light 17, which casts its light upon aname plate 18, preferably ot translucent material, upon a tace of whichis painted, or otherwise applied, the intended destination orVdesignation of the contents ot the compartment.

Below the compartments and eXteriorly to them are lixedly attachedholding hooks 19 to which maybe attached the hooks 2O ot' a mail bag 21,illustrated as made of tvvo compartments, which, when applied, Willreceive the contents of a give-n compartment.

22 designates a lock, thelatch 23 of which normally locks a door 9 inits normally closed or down position as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2,and so prevents the drop ping out oi the contents ot a compartment untilthe unlocking of the lock of such compartment by a person authorized tocollect from it.

Y 24 designates the drop door or closure ot the mouth piece o' acompartment, which is pivoted on the pivot 25, as illustrated in Figure2, and which normally is in the position illustrated in said Figure 2until it is forced down by the action of letters or packages introducedthrough it. This contrivance is of the character usual in mail boxes,and its construction and operation are generally understood.

Referring new to the modified construction illustrated in .Figures 5, 6and 7,-the iorm oi the compartments is quadrangular instead ci' thecurved front iorm of the consttuetion already described, and the drop atthe letters through the drop door 24 carries them into a tiltablereceiving boX 26, hinged at 27 along the bottom edge ci an opening' inthe front Wall et the mail box.

ln the position shown in Figure the tiltable receiving box 26 which isshown as einbodying tivo compartments to correspond to the tivocompartments oii the mail box, see Figui e 7, is shown in its dropped oropened position so that the letters can easily be taken out of it.vWhile in Figure 6 the receiving box is shown in its normal position asclosed within' the mail box proper.

A lock 29, oi' any preferred character and adapted to be opened by theperson-authorized to collect the mail, is typically illustrated inFigure 6, in which figure is also illustrated a directing plate 30,corresponding to the inclined bottom 4 of the iirst construction, whichhelps to direct the letters dropped through the drop door 24 into thecompartments et the tilting receiving box 26 Within the mail box.

While l have new described preferred embodiments oi"l my invention, itis, of course, to be understood that in various particulars theseembodiments may be further modii'ied Without departing from the spiritor scope of the invention or sacrificing any et' its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to securebyLetters Patent is: l

1. A device et the character stated, comprising a casing the front Walloi' which is provided With sets et grooved Ways, said :trent Wall beingformed upon a curved lire from a portion adjacent the casing top to itsbottom, a partition for said casing to provide separate mail receptaclesarranged side by side, a letter drop for each receptacle, indicia aboveeach letter drop denoting city mail tor one receptacle and out-of-citymail Jfor the other receptacle a bottom discharge opening for eachreceptacle and a pair of doors each having a handle, said doorsconforming to the curve ol' said trout wall and ar 'anged side by sidein the saidways for closing said discharge openings, the casing trentwall being provided with spaced, vertical slots 'for the Workingtherethrough of said door handles.

2. A device el the character stated, comprising a casing the trent Wallof which is provided with sets ont groovcd Ways, said trent Wall beingformed upon a curved line from a portion adjacent the casing top to itsbottom, a rear Wall for said casing which is perpendicular throughoutthe major portion et its extent and terminates in a Vbottoni portionwhich converges with the front curved Wall at its bottom, a partitionfor said casing to provide separate mail recep- "tacles arranged side byside, a letter drop for each receptacle, indicia above each `letter dropdenoting city mail for one receptacle and out-o't-city mail for theother receptacle, a bottom idisonarge opening' ttor each receptacle anda pair of deors each having a handle. said doors conforming to the curveof said trent Wall and arranged side by side in the said Ways torclosing said discharge openings, the casing front Wall being providedWith spaced, vertical slotsfor the Working therethrough of said doorhandles.

ROBERT C. SAYRE. l'Vitnesses z J. BoNsALL TAYLOR, N. BUssiNGEn.

